Recovery Gear

Get yourself unstuck. There are many options available for recovery gear. Be smart and avoid cheap copies. Make sure to equip your vehicle with reliable gear tested and rated for well beyond your vehicle's loaded weight to take into account varying recovery situations. Learn and understand the difference between Breaking Strength and Working Load Limit. Learn how to use each piece of equipment. Improper use can be fatal.

• * Rated recovery points front & rear. A few vehicles have rated frame-mounted recovery points built in. Many aftermarket bumpers also include them. Know what you have and make sure that you are prepared to be pulled out should you get stuck and need extraction. A great add-on tool for those with frame mounted hitches are these Factor 55 Hitch Shackles. We use these with soft shackles frequently. Remember to always use a rated pin. These Factor 55 locking pins have a 50,000lb shear strength.
• Winch: We use the Warn Zeon series (still made in the US). Harbor Freight Badlands is also very popular. Make sure to select a winch rated for more than just your vehicle's weight. Remember, you will often be pulling heavier vehicles or stuck vehicles with situations that add to the weight. Get Trained on winch recoveries. And practice frequently. This ensures that you know what condition your gear is in ahead of needing to use it.
• Traction Boards: Maxtrax is the industry leader for traction boards. We use them for bridging on rock ledges as much as using them in soft ground. In deep snow / sand / mud, make sure to use the bright orange leashes. I once lost a board in deep snow. Found it 30 min later 12" under the trailer tire.
• Kinetic Ropes: For getting a stuck vehicle unstuck. NOT for towing. Factor 55 Kinetic Ropes.
• Static Straps: For use in towing, as Tree Savers during winching, and to extend winchlines. Factor 55 Tow Straps.
• Soft shackles / Hard shackles / Snatch blocks: Factor 55 Soft Shackles, Factor 55 Hitch Shackles, Factor 55 Snatch Block Rings or Rope Retention Pulleys
• Shovel: A small folding shovel is handy when digging a cat hole in the morning, but when you’re stuck in sand / mud / snow, a real digging shovel is critical. Also, a 24" (or longer) D-handle shovel is required equipment during fire season in many national forests and BLM lands. We carry and use both of these: Taller D-handle Fiskars Pro for real digging efforts and a shorter D-Handle Cold Steel for bathroom duty and back-up digging efforts. This DMOS Nomad is also a stout shovel that breaks down for packing.



*5/10 Rule - These five topics and 10 individual items make up the Minimum Requirements for any vehicles joining our adventures. They are five matching AT (or better) tires, fire extinguisher, GMRS (or HAM) radio and recovery points rated for the weight of your vehicle.

*** Some of these brands are current or past brand partners. Some of these brands are affiliate partners. It doesn't really matter because we only work with and recommend gear that we actually use in the backcountry.